Forever in My Heart
by nostalgic-maiden
Summary: DISCONTINUED.
1. Her Memories

**Forever in My Heart**

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**Disclaimer: **Takahashi Rumiko owns Inuyasha and co. I'm merely borrowing these characters, so don't sue me :) 

**a/n: **I recently read through my older stuff here (this story included), and I've decided that I'm going to **completely** revamp this story. I just couldn't read past the first chapter, I felt it sucked so much. Some of the newer chapters were okay, but the first couple chapters had me almost dying from mortification. Several changes I've made already are that I'm not going to use fangirl Japanese like I had before, I'm only going to use Japanese for honorifics as well as some terms that can't be translated. Secondly, I'm removing Kagura and her OC family from this story completely, since she's not around anymore. Lastly, I'm trying very hard to remove the feel of perfection from Kagome. I want her to be successful and all in this story, but it's getting to a point where it's not believable.

Updates will probably come quick(er) than before, since it's just about summer and I'll have time on my hands (soon).

* * *

"Heart rate is flat lining!" 

"Defibrillator, quick!"

Medical instruments and machinery were handed to her without question. No, no one questioned her command, not when Kagome Higurashi, the top ER doctor in the hospital, is ordering you. Heck, she was well known in all of Japan.

With the machine in her hands, she looked up.

In person, this petite woman was not very intimidating. At 27 years old, she stood at exactly 5 feet 4 inches. Not that tall. Her long, ebony hair was tied up in a practical bun, and her electric blue eyes, unusual for one of Japanese heritage, flashed with determination. Her curvy figure was hidden neatly beneath the green hospital scrubs and the white lab coat. She looked every bit the professional doctor she was supposed to be.

"Clear!"

-zap-

Volts of electricity shot through his body, triggering his sluggish heart to beat steadily again. She let out the breath she had been holding.

"Heart rate is steady, BP is improving. He should be alright. Great job guys!" she flashed the rest of her staff a brilliant smile. "When he has stabilized further, move him back to the wards. He will do better there than in the ICU."

The head nurse, a young-looking redhead, smiled and answered, "Gotcha doc!"

Kagome smiled again, and disappeared through the curtain, off to treat her next trauma patient.

A younger nurse glanced at Kagome's retreating figure.

"Ne, Ayame-san, doesn't Higurashi-san seem a bit tense today? Her smile…"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I'll ask her about it later."

Washing her hands briskly, Ayame headed out towards the foyer of the ER. Walking quickly to grab a coffee in the café, she tried to savour her break. However, thoughts about Kagome's fake smile entered her mind. She didn't need to ask why Kagome was in a pensive mood. Today was THE day. The day when, 8 years ago, Naraku had been defeated. Today was THE day, when 4 years ago, the well had stopped working. It was THE day when Kagome had been forced to pick up the pieces of her life that remained and make do without the part of her she had left behind in the past.

Kagome had vowed never to fall down like that again. And so she picked herself up, and went on with her life. She had graduated from Tokyo University that spring, just months after she found out she couldn't visit the past anymore. She had needed to get away. She decided to move to America, and go to medical school. And so, she left that very summer, and didn't come back until she was 25. She had come back with a medical degree and a new outlook on life. The Californian sunshine had done her good. She had gotten hired immediately after returning to Japan, at Tokyo's most prestigious hospital. She was now head of the ER.

Ayame sipped her fragrant coffee, hoping the caffeine would keep her awake for the next 12 hours. She silently cursed shifts as she thought about the day that she literally ran into Kagome. She remembered, it was her first day on the job after being promoted. She had been carrying a tray full of capped syringes. Kagome had been trying to read her pager and sprint down the corridor at the same time. They had collided head-on. Kagome had said, "I'm so sorry! Let me help you…" Kagome had then looked up, and saw familiar green eyes, and familiar red hair. She had whispered, "Ayame-chan?"

Ayame had been equally surprised. "Kagome-chan?"

Kagome had burst out crying. The two of them had sat in that corridor, for half an hour, just crying.

Standing up, Ayame deposited her empty coffee cup into the trashcan and headed towards her ward. Flipping out her cell phone discretely, she dialled Kouga's number. She quickly created a text message telling him she would be home after her shift, and told him not to wait up for him. Next, she texted her eldest son, Ichiro, telling him to pick up her youngest daughter, Aiko, from daycare later. This was done in 30 seconds flat. Ayame silently thanked Kami for her demon speed. Sighing slightly, she readied herself for another 12 hours of patrolling the wards and telling off younger nurses for falling asleep on the graveyard shift.

---

Slamming the door of her locker shut, Kagome grabbed her purse and headed towards the exit. Sitting comfortably into her BMW convertible, she revved up the engine and backed out of her parking space. She had never thought she would turn out to be a materialistic type of woman, but back when the well had first closed, she _did_ need something to fill the void that her friends in the past had once occupied. So she worked herself hard, in order to be able to get a good, high-paying job. And for a while after she had succeeded, she lived on a mere 10 of her salary to "save up". Such a habit had withered away soon after she had reunited with Ayame, but by then, her bank account had already swelled up quite nicely.

After much persuasion on Ayame's part, Kagome had bought a nice penthouse apartment in a nice area of the city, and traded in her transit tickets for a set of car keys. Kagome's living space was so calm and peaceful that Ayame and her mate, Kouga, regularly frequented it with their pups. Ichiro, who really couldn't be called a pup anymore, looked at least 20 in human years. Kasumi and Kenji, the twins, were around 16, and their youngest, Aiko, was still in daycare. Kagome sometimes babysat Aiko when Kouga and Ayame wanted to go out without their young ones, and all three older children were occupied.

Since coming back to Japan, Kagome really hadn't gone out much like she had used to in America. But that may have been because she didn't have a boyfriend. In fact, she never really had any long-term relationships. There was just too much emotional baggage in her heart as of now. During her university years in Japan, she had been quiet, preferring to keep to her friends in the past. In America, she had morphed into quite the party girl, drowning her internal loneliness in liquor and dance.

Backing into her parking space at her apartment once again, she quickly got out and stepped into a waiting elevator. She got out on the 18th floor, and entered her penthouse. The design was modern, and furniture was simple and tasteful. Throwing her purse onto the black leather sofa, she kicked off her heels and sighed. Stripping down to her undergarments, she left her clothes in a pile and headed to the bathroom. Stepping into the hot shower, she allowed the steam and water to wash away the stress of the day. Satisfied with the shower, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a pink towel. Stepping into her bedroom, she dressed in comfortable loungewear, and proceeded to drop the dirty pile of clothes on the floor into the hamper. She would do the laundry after.

Tonight was a special night. Usually, she would spend this evening alone. The first couple years after the well had closed, she would spend this night crying. Now, she was stronger, and decided that enough tears had been shed for the past. She had decided to take initiative, and invite Shippou and Rin over. She had found out soon after meeting up with Ayame and Kouga that Shippou was still around, and had mated with Rin. They still had no children, but they could take their time. After all, Shippou was only 500, and Rin had stopped aging the minute they had become mates, giving her body the appearance and function of a 23-year old. Shippou was now the head of his own law firm, and Rin was his personal assistant.

Flicking on the lights in her kitchen, she started to plan what she would cook. Rin had already offered to make onigiri, so she decided not to bother with other rice dishes. Opening her fridge, she got out ingredients for a monjayaki and started to boil water to make soba.

Half an hour later, she had finished setting the table, the cooked monjayaki was ready to eat, and the soba was chilling in the fridge. Miso soup she had made yesterday was simmering slowly on the stovetop.

She entered her bedroom again, to change into something more appropriate. Hurried, she donned a nice halter top and some relatively crinkle-free khakis. She quickly jabbed some pearls through her earlobes and put on some mascara as she heard her doorbell ring. Patting her hair quickly, she ran to the door and opened it.

In the doorway stood a tall, handsome young man with red hair tied back in a short ponytail. On his arm was a pretty young woman with voluminous black hair and bright brown eyes, who was holding a large Tupperware® box in her other arm.

"Kaasan," Shippou greeted her with a large smile.

"Kagome-chan," Rin smiled her signature bright smile.

"Shippou-chan, Rin-chan," she replied, flashing them her own wide smile. "Come on in and put your stuff down."

Shippou took his and Rin's coats, and set them neatly on the couch. Rin proceeded to the set table, putting down her box of onigiri.

The three of them sat down and began eating. As the edge was taken off of their hunger, a lively conversation started, with topics ranging from Ichiro's latest girlfriend to the art of Japanese cooking to Kagome's halter top, the latter of which only Rin and Kagome had any opinions on. After dinner, the three lounged around on the sofa, and the conversation turned to Inuyasha.

"Times like these make me think of when I was still a kit, and he would always bully me," Shippou remarked, with a small smile on his face. Rin looked sympathetically towards her two companions. Whenever conversation turned to Inuyasha, she would automatically withdraw her voice, knowing that she had limited contact with him, and that she shouldn't say anything. She would be the one who gave silent support and comfort to her two nostalgic companions.

Kagome nodded. "I remember when that happened, I would always sit him, and he'd curse at me from his crater."

Shippou chuckled. "I miss him."

"I do too," Kagome replied, her eyes lowering as she felt the familiar wetness come to her eyes.

Kikyou had to set Inuyasha free after Naraku had been defeated. She finally became the sweet miko she used to be as her soul was gently released, and her body was finally put to eternal rest. After Kikyou's death, Inuyasha decided to put away his feelings for his first love, as well as for her reincarnation. Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship had grown to become one that was like brother and sister. They knew that they would not be happy together, and life was better if they stayed friends. After Kagome disappeared, Inuyasha had been depressed for a long time. However, he eventually found happiness in a young taijiya named Chiyoko. They had gotten married and had one child. However, tragedy had struck, and the entire family had perished in Hiroshima in WWII.

"But, 'kaasan, I'm glad you decided to have us over tonight. This means your heart is healing," Shippou gently said.

Kagome nodded, accepting the tissue that Rin offered her. "It's been hard, but I think I've finally reached a point where I'm allowing my life to go on fully. I've always said that I'm okay, but now, I truly feel that I am. I guess I've learned the difference between reminiscing about the past, and pining for the past." She smiled.

Shippou smiled and stood up. "I think we should go now. You need to rest, 'kaasan. When's your next shift?"

"Tomorrow at noon, until about 2 a.m." she answered.

Shippou shook his head. "I don't understand how you doctors can live like that. If it were me, poor Rin-chan would have to deal with my temper."

Rin laughed quietly, and took her coat, handing Shippou's coat to him. She stood up too, saying, "Take care of yourself, Kagome-chan." Giving Kagome a warm hug, she linked her arm with Shippou's again, and the two headed out the door. Locking her door, Kagome started to clean up the remnants of dinner, thinking about the conversations she had tonight.

Smiling, she thought to herself, "Yes, tonight is going to mark my new beginning."

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okay, first chapter of revised edition of "Forever in My Heart". Hope it was up to standard :) I'm really getting rusty with the Inuyasha fandom - I haven't read any of the new manga, have forgotten most of the un-Sesshoumaru-related scenes from the anime, and have just about stopped reading Inuyasha fanfics...so very sorry. My life's been taken up by BLEACH and Naruto. I highly recommend both to you guys if you haven't read/watched them yet. Again, as with any anime, I recommend the subbed Japanese versions, not the English dub, and as for the manga, I'm sure there are many nice sites out there with nice translations. Or, you could always try the raw Japanese version, which is also quite good.

Back to the story...okay, so I haven't changed much about Kagome's character or the characters that she's met with, apart from taking out Kagura, since I want to keep it canon to the manga. I have shortened a lot of the lengthy descriptions (especially about clothes) since I don't think it's necessary anymore, and it's nice to have your own unique image of the events/characters, right?

Sesshoumaru is going to make his grand debut in the next chapter, and you guys can start to guess what occupation he is…lol. So if you have any questions about the story so far, please leave me a comment, and I'll answer it :) But please keep in mind that exams are coming up, and it's summative month, and I'm really wrapped up in Bleach and Naruto, so please don't get mad if I don't answer immediately.

onigiri: rice balls made of cooked rice wrapped with nori seaweed; they often contain some other food in the centre

monjayaki: a Kanto region specialty that is like a mix between a pizza and a pancake. It is made with dough that is rather liquid-y

soba: native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat and wheat flour; can be served hot or cold

miso: soup made from miso/soybean paste, usually contains seaweed and small cubes of silken tofu

That's about it. Have fun reading, and please drop a review, especially those who have read the previous version. Please tell me if this version has improved from the last! Thank you!

outz


	2. What's Going On?

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 2: What's Going On?

A resounding knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," a smooth, baritone voice called out.

The baritone voice belonged to none other than Sesshoumaru Taisho, head detective for the Tokyo Police Department. To have risen to his current position was quite a feat, considering he was only 29 years old. Apparently. He had spent 4 years previously in the SDU, and just got promoted 2 years ago. He had gold orbs, and long, silky silver hair that was currently tied back in a low ponytail. His youkai markings had been hidden by a simple sealing spell. His 6'2" frame made him an imposing figure to look at.

The door opened, and his secretary came in.

"Rin-san wanted to see if you had time to have lunch with her and Watanabe-san. Would you like me to forward her call to you?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. A moment later, his phone rang and he picked up.

"Rin," he greeted her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" her ever-excited voice said, "want to come with me and Shippou-chan? We're going to try out that new restaurant just 10 minutes away from your place!"

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile a little bit. His Rin had grown up so fast, and was now a married and working woman. In all honesty, she was well over 500 years old, but she looked not a day past 23.

"Hai, I'll be there. What time will you be arriving?"

"Um…we're about 15 minutes away, so how bout 12:30?"

Sesshoumaru nodded his head. "Alright, I'll see you then."

"Until later then!" Rin's cheerful voice chirped.

"Hai" Sesshoumaru hung up and paged his secretary. She came in and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Sesshoumaru handed her several files, saying, "Help me file these. I'll be going out for lunch today, so you can have a longer lunch break. I'll be back before 2."

Nodding, his secretary replied, "Hai, it will be done."

Grabbing his jacket, he headed out the door and into the parking lot. He got into his Mercedes and drove off.

His accumulated wealth over the years had allowed him to choose a profession that he was truly interested in. Of course, his job as a detective paid really well too. But the reason why he was a police officer was because it gave him a chance to use his youkai abilities, and he enjoyed the thrill of it. Now, as a detective, he did not get to work out in the field as often as he had back in the SDU, but this job required him to use a lot of his brain. Thinking was something else he enjoyed doing, so this job worked out fine for him. His youkai instinct allowed him to excel in this field.

Driving effortlessly, he got to the indicated restaurant and scanned the tables, finding Shippou's fiery hair in no time. Heading over to the table, he picked up on their conversation long before he reached the table.

"Rin-chan, look at this!" Shippou's voice said. A slight rustling told him that Shippou had passed some paper, probably a newspaper, over to Rin.

"Ne, Shippou-chan, isn't that Kagome-chan?" Rin's curious voice answered.

"Hai. Wow, I didn't know 'kaasan was that well known."

Rin, seeing that Sesshoumaru had arrived, gave a squeal.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

'Old habits die hard,' was the only thought that passed through the two youkais' heads as Rin stood up and launched herself onto Sesshoumaru. He returned the embrace somewhat awkwardly, although it was already a major improvement from 500 years ago.

"Rin, Shippou," he greeted.

Shippou smiled, and said, "Sesshoumaru-sama, please have a seat."

Extricating himself from Rin's embrace, he sat down. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Who were you talking about?"

Rin, who had sat down, looked surprised. "Oh, I can't believe we've never told you yet. Do you remember Kagome-chan? She was the miko who travelled with Shippou-chan back then."

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. Yes, he remembered now. She was the oddly dressed miko, the one who had greatly intrigued him. After all, she was the one who had stood up to him and lived. He remembered how she was able to control his half-brother whenever she said "sit", and he remembered that her scent was quite pleasing, for a human. Rin didn't count. She always smelled fine.

He nodded his head. "Hai, I do remember her. But didn't she disappear 500 years ago?"

Shippou nodded. "Hai. But the truth is, that she is from this time. As in, she travelled to our time through a well, the Bone-Eaters Well. After the destruction of Naraku, she continued to visit us by going to and from the well. However, when she was 22, the well closed suddenly, and we lost contact with her. Ayame-san first ran into her about a year and a half ago. Since then we've kept in close contact. So that's why, for us, it's been 500 years, but for her, it's only been about 4 years."

Sesshoumaru was surprised. He had always thought that the miko was strange, but he never knew that she travelled to and from different times. That was like leading a double life!

"What was so interesting about her that you were reading about?" Sesshoumaru's curiousity had been roused.

Rin handed him the day's newspaper. He accepted it, and scanned the headline.

"JAPAN'S MOST ELIGIBLE SINGLES"

Reading it more thoroughly, he discovered that it was an article about 10 different people and why they had been voted to be called Japan's most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. It turns out that Kagome was 3rd on the list.

Looking up, he said, "She's a doctor?"

Nodding, Rin replied, "Hai. She graduated from Tokyo U the year that the well closed. Afterwards, she went to California and got her medical degree. She came back to Japan only 2 years ago, and ran into us shortly afterwards."

"Hn," was his only reply. Shippou nodded at a waiter hovering nearby and looked at Sesshoumaru, handing him a menu.

"What do you want to eat?"

---

Sesshoumaru arrived back at work at 2 p.m. sharp. His secretary looked up, and said, "Taisho-san, there are files are your desk that were just sent it. I think you should take a look at it."

Sesshoumaru was surprised for the second time that day. People at work never really talked to him. His emotionless mask – a trait he had kept throughout the years, usually intimidated them to the point where they only addressed him when absolutely necessary. His secretary was a quiet woman who kept to her own affairs. She never really gave him any opinions or suggestions. Having her speak up like this probably meant something was not good. Nodding his head, he answered, "Thank you, Kaori."

Opening the door to his office, he noted the files put neatly on his desk. Sitting down in his chair, he opened the first one. He was met with a picture of a young man, probably in his late-twenties. A quick look at the bio confirmed his guess. Reading the contents quickly, he felt his adrenaline start to kick in. Turns out that his fellow had been murdered. Autopsy stated various chemical burns, head trauma, left arm hacked off – at this point he couldn't help but glance down at his own regenerated arm. It had taken the damn thing a century to regenerate. Looking back at the file, he noticed that it said the victim had a suspicious-looking mark at the back of his neck. A photo showed that the mark was something like a tattoo – it was a silhouette of a snake rearing, as if it was going to strike at its prey.

A quick look through the 3 other files revealed that 3 other people had been killed, the exact same way. 2 of the victims had been found in Tokyo, and other two were from Osaka. All the wounds on the victims were identical, down to the strange snake symbol tattooed onto the backs of their necks. His first thought was, "This has serial killer written all over it." However, something in his gut told him there was more to it than he thought. And his gut was usually right. Taking his files with him, he picked up his jacket again and headed outside.

"Kaori, I want you to get my team together. Tell them we are having a meeting tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp. And make copies of these files for all of them. You're free to go after you finish that."

She nodded, taking the files from him. He got down to the car park, and into his car. He started to think. 'Where should I start first?'

Starting his car, he decided to head to the scene where the body of the first man was found.

---

Kagome rubbed her aching head. It was only 2:30 p.m., and it seemed like the ER was busier than ever. Worse thing was, two people had been brought in just as her shift started, and she hadn't been able to save them. Of course, other patients had died before, and she was used to seeing that – she knew when it was a lost cause. However, these two were different. Their injuries were numerous, but alone, none of them should have been fatal. They had even been conscious when they had arrived at the hospital. And yet, she hadn't been able to save them. They both had tried to say something, then just seemingly dropped dead. She had been shocked when the first guy tried to talk, then his heart rate flat lined and his brain activity dropped to zero. Her mouth had literally dropped open – she wasn't used to seeing patients die so suddenly. It was unnerving. After the second one had died in the exact same manner, she had gotten suspicious. The two victims were just two similar. Same injuries, both had died when they tried to talk. And both were youkai.

She had felt her miko powers flare as the stretcher was wheeled towards her. Sure enough, as she checked their pupils, she snuck a quick touch towards their ears, and she felt the points of their ears against her skin, although their sealing spells didn't give it away. She had known about the existence of other youkai in her time. However, their numbers were small. To see two die just a couple hours apart from each other alarmed her greatly. She needed to talk to the others, quick.

---

Sesshoumaru got out of his car, and putting his hands in his pockets, he scanned the area. Stepping closer to the site where the victim was found half-dead, he suddenly stopped. A scent wafted into his nose. 'The man was youkai!' He was shocked. Running back to his car, he drove off to the second location, where the second victim was found. Again, he was youkai. Instinct told him the other two victims in Osaka were also youkai. Things suddenly seemed a lot more grim. Perhaps it was time to recall his OTHER team. His work team of humans seemed a lot less necessary. Flipping out his cell phone, he speed dialled his general's private number.

"Watanabe,"

"Hai?"

"We have a problem."

---

Half an hour later, a small group of youkai and one human were grouped around him. Kouga, Ayame, Kagura, Jiro, Shippou, Rin, and Ichiro all had their eyes focused on him.

"What do you smell?" he calmly asked them.

6 noses sniffed simultaneously.

"Youkai," Kouga stated.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "This is the location where a man, or youkai, was found gravely injured. He later died at the hospital. The problem is, you should only smell one scent, where there should be at least two. Apart from the scent of the dead youkai, there is no other scent. Meaning…"

"We have a youkai murderer on the loose," Shippou said.

"More like a youkai serial killer on the loose," Sesshoumaru sad, "there were 3 other youkai killed in the exact same manner. 1 other here in Tokyo, and 2 in Osaka. My human team won't do much good now. I need you to work with me."

Kouga nodded. "Problem is, we don't even have a scent to begin with."

"The only other lead I have is that each victim had a snake tattoo burned into the backs of their necks."

Everyone seemed to think about that. Rin broke the silence, saying, "Sesshoumaru-sama, I think our team needs one more person."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the miko?"

Rin nodded. "Kagome-chan would want to know what was going on. She called me a while ago, telling me that two youkai patients just died on her. She said it was strange how their injuries were identical."

Sesshoumaru was surprised, although his mask never slipped. "She was the doctor in charge of them?"

Ayame nodded. "Hai, I remember it was the end of my shift when she came on. Within that time frame, she was the only doctor. It had to have been her. And I agree with Rin-san. She would be a great help. If more victims appear, she is the first one to reach them and can tell us vital information that other humans cannot. Plus, she has her miko powers."

It was a statement he couldn't argue with. Even he remembered that it was she who had purified Naraku. He gave a curt nod. "Very well. When does her current shift end? I would like to tell her in person."

"She's on all day, until about 2 a.m. in the morning. If you want to see her, go to her place," Ayame said, reaching in her purse for a pen and paper. She jotted down Kagome's address and handed it to Sesshoumaru, who took the paper and looked at it. 'It seems like we are neighbours. It's strange how I've never seemed to run into her,' he thought.

It turns out that they both lived in the penthouse of neighbouring apartment buildings. Sesshoumaru had long ago vacated his castle in the West, although he was still the Taiyoukai of the West. He found it inefficient to travel so far everyday to Tokyo, just to go to work. He eventually sealed away his castle and its occupants, saving it for future use.

With those thoughts in mind, he said, "You may leave now."

Kagura laughed. "We drop everything and come immediately when you call, and you dismiss us like that! I haven't seen you do that in a long time. That's more like the egotistical jerk we all used to know. Honestly Sesshoumaru, the years have made you a lot more tolerant and soft."

Sesshoumaru gave a small growl at her comment, but did nothing more. After all, there was some truth to her words. He had found that in order to blend in among all the humans, he really did have to soften up. But he found that to be a nice change from always having to be an ruthless ice statue.

Ichiro snorted. Giving a quick, "Matte ne, Sesshoumaru-sama" he popped his keys into his ignition and sped off.

Ayame sighed. "What happened to my baby?"

Kouga frowned. "She's at daycare."

Ayame bopped him on the head. "I was talking about Ichi-chan, you baka!"

Kouga shrugged. "Kids grow up, and you just have to deal with it. Isn't that right, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at Rin. "Hai, you just have to learn to let them go…"

Kagura snorted. "I'll make sure THIS one will not grow up to leave her poor okaasan alone," she said, gently rubbing her protruding abdomen.

Jiro laughed. "In several hundred years, you'll be glad to have the children off your back, darling."

Kagura sniffed, saying, "Highly unlikely." Entwining her fingers with her mate's, she said, "Well, ja ne!"

Ayame glanced at her watch. "It's almost time for my next shift. I have to go. I have an early leaving today, so I'll be home for dinner."

Kouga nodded. "I'll be waiting,"

The two smiled, and departed as well.

That left Shippou, Sesshoumaru, and Rin. Shippou glanced at Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I just want to tell you, that Rin and I never told okaasan that you are still around. She's probably going to get the surprise of her life. Be nice to her, will you?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Ja ne."

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lol yay another chapter! This one was kinda hard to write. But lol like I promised, Sesshoumaru makes his grand entrance here! Yay! Haha I don't know what drove me to make him a detective. I dunno, he always seemed to have that essence within him.

Well I hope you guys liked this chapter! chapter 3 is now done and chapter 4 is almost done :D

oh and the SDU is a special division within the police force that deals with special crimes, eg. organized crime, bomb threats, etc. it's kinda like the SWAT . except i don't know if SDU exists within Japan. it's actually a Hong Kong thing. so if it doesn't exist in Japan, please pretend that it does XD just for the sake of this little chapter. :D

oh p.s. "matte ne" has a similar meaning to "ja ne" (later, til next time, etc)

and please please continue to review! i need all the suggestions/comments i can get. and please, if you flame, flame so that i can learn something from it :)

outz


	3. How the Memories Rush In

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 3: How the Memories Rush In

Kagome had never felt so exhausted in her life. Not even midterms, not even shard hunting felt so bad. During one shift, she was the only doctor, and had seen two patients die right in front of her. Stepping into her dark apartment, she closed the door. She slid down, and just sat there. She didn't bother to take off her heels, much less turn on the light. While savouring the stillness for several minutes, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Frowning slightly, she looked at her watch. It read 2:47 p.m. 'Who the hell would come at this hour?' she thought. Flicking on her lights, she peered into her peephole. She almost had a heart attack. Silver hair, gold eyes…she quickly opened the door.

And there he stood, still radiating a sense of great power, like he had, all those years ago.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome faintly whispered. Her eyes suddenly closed, and she collapsed, in a dead faint.

Sesshoumaru caught her just in time, holding her small frame within his strong arms.

"Dammit!" he quietly cursed. Holding Kagome gently, he went inside and closed the door. He laid her down on the sofa, and sat down beside her. Waiting for her to regain consciousness, he looked around her neat apartment. The room he was currently in had two black leather sofas, situated in front of a large cabinet that housed a flat screen TV. He assumed the room he had passed on his way in was the kitchen, seeing as it was tiled. He could see two corridors lead from the living room. Again, he assumed both probably led to bedrooms.

Sensing slight movement from Kagome, he looked over at her. Sure enough, within several seconds, he heard a slight groan from her. Slowly raising her hand to her face, Kagome rubbed her eyes. She slowly sat up. Opening her eyes, she looked beside her. Giving a slight gasp, she remembered what happened. Blushing slightly, she jumped up and said, "Gomen nasai Sesshoumaru-sama! I was just so surprised at seeing you at my door. Please wait a moment; I'll get us some tea,"

Sesshoumaru raised his hand to stop her. "Iie, there is no need. You need to rest, so I will be brief."

Staring at him, she slowly sat back down. He had changed so much! He seemed to have lost much of his former arrogance and iciness.

He mentally smirked at her surprise. Clearing his throat, he started. "As you already know, we are currently in the midst of a growing situation. As the head detective for the Tokyo Police Department, I was the first to be notified of the two dead youkai. I hear you were the doctor who first saw those two youkai patients. The problem is, they are not the only ones who died like that. In fact, there were two other youkai in Osaka who died in the exact same manner. Same injuries, everything." He paused, seeing she was deep in thought.

Kagome nodded, saying, "please go on."

Sesshoumaru continued. "At the scene of the crime, I am usually able to discern the scent of the criminal. However, at the places where they found the two victims from Tokyo, I couldn't find any other scent. This means, the murderer is almost one hundred percent youkai. Quite a powerful one too, seeing as he or she is able to mask their scent completely, even from me."

Kagome was very surprised. If a youkai had the power to hide its scent from Sesshoumaru, then they had to be very powerful and cunning.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I understand all that you have said so far, but why is it that you have come at this time to tell me?" Kagome was very curious.

"It was actually Rin's suggestion to have me tell you. She argued that you would be a great help to us, because if any more victims show up you will be one of the first to know. You could offer us valuable first-hand information. As well, your miko powers will be convenient."

Noting her confusion, he elaborated.

"Today, I went to the scene where the two youkai were found. I didn't even know they were youkai until I went. I decided to recall the team I hadn't called on in almost a century. They are the ones who I had employed after the defeat of Naraku, the ones I trust the most. When we were there we discussed our options, and Rin made the suggestion."

"Ah, I see now," Kagome's confusion cleared up slightly. "Who else is on that team of yours?"

The corners of his mouth lifting slightly, he answered, "I believe you know all of them. Kouga, Ayame, their firstborn Ichiro, Kagura, Jiro, Rin, and Shippou, who happens to be my head general. I had taken him in after you disappeared, and trained him as he grew up. That kitsune turned out to be one hell of a good fighter, so I decided to make him my general and allowed him to mate Rin."

Kagome was shocked. "Shippou had said that he was the general of a very powerful lord, but he never said it was you!" Scowling, she continued, "I'm so going to kill him, why didn't he tell me? And the rest of them, not telling me that they were still in your service. Heck, I didn't even know you were still around!"

Chuckling inwardly at her antics, Sesshoumaru said, "Well miko, I believe your friends were worried that telling you about me would bring back rather unpleasant memories for you."

Kagome sighed. "It's Kagome, Sesshoumaru-sama. It cannot possibly be that hard to remember. And I suppose you are right, it would have brought back bad memories for me."

Sesshoumaru stood up. "Well Kagome, it is rather late, or I suppose, early, and I should get going. We will be meeting again shortly. Is it alright if I page you?"

Kagome nodded. "My pager and cell phone are both always on, so feel free to page or call me. I'm off duty for the next 48 hours, so I'll be free anytime within that time frame."

Sesshoumaru looked surprised. "How come your shifts are so far apart, yet Ayame-san seems to always be at work? Do you not work at the same hospital?"

Kagome laughed. "That's the advantage of being the head of ER, Sesshoumaru-sama. I've already tried to loosen up Ayame-chan's schedule, but the nurses have a set amount of hours that they need to be at work. She's already at her minimum. Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama, do you live far from here?"

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly. He pulled open her curtains and gestured out the window. "You see that neighbouring apartment? I live in the penthouse."

Kagome's mouth hung open. "You live THAT close? Then how come I've never seemed to run into you?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "That is not a question either of us have an answer to."

Kagome nodded. "Thanks for telling me all this, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm glad I can be of some use."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We shall keep in touch. Until then, ja ne,"

Kagome walked him to her door. "Ja ne, Sesshoumaru-sama."

She closed and locked the door, then went to sit on her sofa. She was still in a state of disbelief. After so many years, she ran into him again. The one who had sprayed her with poison in his own father's tomb. The one who had desired the Tetsusaiga. The one who eventually helped them slay Naraku. He was never quite the civil one, even when they had eventually become allies. The only gentle side of him she ever saw was when he was with Rin. That little girl had thawed his icy heart a great deal. She smiled slightly. Rin had grown up to be such a fine young woman.

She remembered how he had looked five hundred years ago. Long, flowing silver hair, a flawless and pale complexion, and those golden orbs gave him an ethereal glow. His flowing silk hoari and hakamas, tied at the waist with a yellow and violet sash. Tojikin and Tenseiga tied at his waist. To any normal female, he would be seen as an image of perfection. His outward appearance had changed dramatically now though. All that was the same was his hair, eyes, and complexion. A sealing spell had hidden his fangs, as well as his markings and claws. Tonight, he had been wearing very casual street wear. Black muscle shirt, with an unbuttoned collared shirt on top. Loose fitting jeans, and a pair of Adidas. She could have laughed out lout. If someone had told her that the great Lord Sesshoumaru would one day be seen wearing a pair of Adidas, she would've told them they were insane.

'Hmm…' she mused, 'I do have to admit, he did look very good. That demon does know how to dress.'

Looking out the window at the neighbouring apartment, she saw the lights of the penthouse come on. Smiling, she thought, 'I would've thought that seeing him again would remind me of Inuyasha. But now, when I see him, I see Sesshoumaru. Not a shadow of the one I used to love. Perhaps working with him will not be so bad. After all, these five hundred years seemed to have hammered a personality into him. One that isn't coated in as much ice,' she thought that last part with a slight chuckle.

Flicking off all the lights in her suite, she padded into her bedroom, collapsing on her bed. Undressing herself until she was left in her undergarments, she rolled under the covers, allowing the waves of sleep to come over her. Her last coherent thought was, 'Wait till I tell mama how Mr.I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass is officially a melted Popsicle!'

---

Kagome awoke as the late-morning sun streamed through her curtains and into her eyes. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes and stretched her sore body out. Rolling onto her stomach, she glanced her at alarm clock. 10:48 a.m. 'I lovveeeeee off-duty time,' she thought, as she walked herself to the bathroom, intent on taking a quick shower. Coming out fifteen minutes later, she wrapped her towel tighter around her chest and plugged in her hair dryer. Turning it on, she allowed its warmth to slowly dry her locks. Satisfied with the appearance of her hair after she had brushed it, she pulled her bangs to the back of her head with a bobby pin and piled the remaining hair into a high ponytail. Walking to her closet, she pulled out a pair of fitted jeans and a white turtleneck sweater. On top of the sweater she wore a bulky, brown vest. Grabbing her purse and stuffing her wallet inside of it, she reached for a full water bottle and headed to the door. She stopped to put on a pair of suede boots that went right below her knees. She walked out and locked the door. Flipping out her cellphone, she dialled Rin.

"Moshi-moshi!" Rin's cheerful voice called out.

"Ne, it's me, Rin-chan," Kagome answered, as she got into her car and started the engine.

"Ohayo Kagome-chan! What's up?"

"So stressed out lately. Sesshoumaru-sama showed up at like 3 a.m. this morning," she snorted.

Rin laughed. "Hai, he told me about that. He said you fainted."

Kagome scowled slightly. "That I did. But only because of the shock. Rin-chan, you should've told me he was still around!"

"Ne, Kagome-chan, I wanted to, but the timing wasn't right. I needed to wait until you were completely over the death of Yasha-kun,"

"Well I suppose so. Ne, Rin-chan, how did you manage to melt that big icicle that he is? He was so civil last night. No threats or insults of 'insolent wench!' were said!"

Rin laughed again. "It wasn't entirely me, you know. I just opened up his heart a lot, showed him that not all humans were worthless. Besides, for him to survive unnoticed through the ages, he needed to blend in with the rest of the human population. Which would've been hard if you kept threatening to kill the people around you for minor mannerism problems,"

Kagome laughed again. "Hai, that's true. Well, I was just wondering if you want to come clubbing with me. I need a girls-night-out so badly."

"I'd love to come. And don't worry about the whole designated driver thing. I'll get Shippou-chan to come for us. He'll probably be up the whole night worrying anyways, so might as well give us all a ride home."

Kagome paused, making a left turn into the regional shopping centre. "Ayame-chan will probably come too; she gets off at 5 p.m. and is free until 9 a.m. But I don't know if Kagura-chan will come. Alcohol is not good for the developing fetus."

Rin laughed. "Here, why don't I text Ayame and ask her; she'll be able to check her messages during her break. I'll get back to you, alright? Ja ne!"

"Ja," Kagome answered, and flipped her cell phone closed. She backed into a parking space, and lifted herself out of the car, locking it. Walking into the crowded market, she went on to pick up enough groceries for the week. Half an hour later, laden with packages, she headed back home to drop down her groceries.

She then proceeded to trade her purse for her gym bag, and headed to the community centre for at least two hours of working out. Ever since she went to America, she had a habit of exercising whenever possible. It toned her body and relieved stress. She had accumulated quite a bit of muscle mass over the years – not enough to be freaky, but enough to make her figure lean and curvy.

Wiping her sweaty brow with a towel, she headed to a secluded room that she had booked specifically for herself. Sitting down on a mat in the middle of the room, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. This was something she had started doing only 3 months ago. Focusing on her miko powers, she guided the power to her fingertips, making them glow a vivid pink. She proceeded to guide the powers to every part of her body, each part emitting a bright pink when the power flowed into it.

She had ignored her miko powers for years, as the thought of her powers made her heart ache. It reminded her too much of the shard-hunting days. However, it seemed her powers were always calling out to her, and each time, her soul would flutter. It got to a point where she couldn't ignore it anymore. Unconsciously, she had channelled her power into her fingertips, and everything she had touched turned to dust. After that incident, she decided to train herself to control her powers. After 3 months, she had regained control of her powers. She could feel her powers pulsing within her, in a gentle rhythm. When she was agitated or was feeling strong emotions, the pulsing would get stronger. She found that if she didn't release her power regularly, she would lose control of it, because it was fighting to be let out of her body.

Taking a deep breath once again, she concentrated on forming a barrier around herself. These barriers were very useful, because they repelled and purified any unwelcome demon energy around her. Demons she recognized or trusted would be left unharmed. By channelling more or less power into her fingertips, she could weaken or strengthen her barrier.

Letting her barrier slowly drop, she slowly got up and packed her bag. She left the community centre and headed back home for yet another shower. At this point, she was quite hungry, as she hadn't eaten since her last shift ended. She hurriedly made some udon, and consumed it very quickly.

Right after she finished the dishes, the phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was Rin.

"Rin-chan?"

"Hai!"

"What's up?"

"I asked Ayame. She said she'll come. I'll swing by at around…eight o clock tonight? I'm dropping by Ayame's first though. And yeah, like you thought, Kagura-chan declined the offer. She told us to have a good time though!"

"Sure, that'll be fine. I'll see you then, 'kay?"

"Okay, ja!"

"Ja!"

Sighing contentedly, she felt the familiar anticipation build up in her stomach. She loved clubbing. Another one of the habits she had picked up while in America. While her mother didn't exactly approve, she trusted Kagome to be wise in all her decisions. Speaking of her mother…

"I haven't visited 'kaasan in ages," she mused. Glancing at her watch, she said, "I have so much time. Might as well swing by and talk to her for a while,"

Grabbing her purse, she patted her hair and headed out the door.

Her mother and brother no longer lived at the shrine. After her grandfather had passed away 3 years ago, they had moved to a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was still close enough for Souta to go to Tokyo University, but away from the direct pollution of the city. Souta was going to graduate in about 2 years, if all goes well. He wanted to become a lawyer, and Shippou had promised Souta that if his marks were decent, he would hire him to his law firm. Encouraged by that, Souta had been achieving excellent marks.

After they moved, the shrine had been taken by the government, and preserved as a cultural point. It was now a tourist attraction, and Kagome sometimes would go visit it, just to reminisce and sit under the Goshinboku.

The drive to her mother's place took about 20 minutes. Stopping the car in front of the house, she opened the door and inhaled the fresh air. It really was a nice place to live. Smiling, she rang the doorbell.

Her mother opened the door, wearing a surprised expression.

"Kagome-chan?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

well guys, there's another chapter:) I hope you liked this one. I hope you don't mind image of Kagome as a bit of a party girl. I decided to deviate from the typical "pure, innocent, naïve" Kagome, and go for a wild and sexy image. And yeah, I'll slowly introduce her North American-inspired habits. notice i didn't only say america. cuz that's not fair. cuz us canadians are really no better. after all, who are the bunch of losers that pile into clubs and drink their butts off just for a stinking hockey game? us. yes. continuing...So far, she has the flings, the working out (or should i not say that's an American habit...it's more like a New Year's Resolution that always ends up being forgotten...)and the clubbing. Can you guys guess what will be next?

outz;)


	4. Stress

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 4: Stress

"Kagome-chan?" Kagome's mother looked very surprised.

"Mama!" Kagome bounded through the door and wrapped her mother in a warm embrace.

"I haven't seen you in what felt like ages," Kagome's mother commented, as they broke the embrace.

"Hai, and that's why I felt the need to see you," Kagome gave a bright smile.

"Come now, sit down and let me get us some tea to talk over," Ms Higurashi bustled off into the kitchen.

Kagome sat herself down on the comfortable sofa. Looking around, she realized just how long she hadn't come back here. There were several new photos on the mantle, depicting various adventures Souta had with his girlfriend. There were also several new pictures of Souta and her mother. She noticed a few lamps had been changed, and that a new rug had been put it.

Kagome's mother came in, holding a tray with a steaming tea pot and two tea cups. Pouring the steaming tea into both cups, she sat down beside Kagome and picked up a cup, sipping its contents slowly. Kagome did the same, savouring the delicate taste of jasmine tea, which happened to be her favourite.

"Ne, mama, you seemed to have done some small redecorations," Kagome commented, gesturing at the lamps and the rug.

Ms Higurashi laughed. "Iie, that wasn't me, that was Souta's girlfriend, Izumi. She's a sweet girl, and comes over even when he's not at home. She says it's important that I'm not being neglected, with you so busy and Souta always studying. I had said that evenings were always so dark in the house, and she went and got us some lamps. She even got me a rug, just to give this room a warmer feeling."

Kagome smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Izumi-san seems like such a nice girl. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit in so long, mama."

Ms Higurashi patted her hand sympathetically. "Iie, it's alright. I understand that you have lots of work to do at the hospital. I just want you to rest well and not get sick. Speaking of the hospital, how has work been recently?"

Kagome sighed. "It's been alright, I guess. Except for some strange things that happened recently," she paused, staring at her tea cup.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" her mother prompted.

Kagome nodded. "Well it all started when I got these two patients with the exact same injuries. I thought that was rather odd. But what got me the most, was that these two patients were youkai! And they weren't weaklings either, seeing as both had sealing spells, so whoever had injured them had to have been quite powerful. And then, as I was asking them what happened, as soon as they opened their mouths, they just died! Just like that! I didn't even get a chance to check their pupils before they flatlined."

Her mother gasped. "Oh, you poor child!"

"And that's not all. I got a visit from Sesshoumaru-sama right after my shift this morning. You remember Inuyasha's older half-brother, the Lord of the Western Lands?"

Kagome's mother nodded, saying, "Wasn't he the one you thought was a really arrogant prick?"

Kagome nodded. "Hai. Until yesterday, I didn't even know he was still around. Rin-chan and Shippou-chan never mentioned it to me. And Shippou-chan was his head general! He told me that he suspected that a strong youkai was targeting the rest of the youkai population, because it turns out that two other youkai were injured and died in the exact same manner, in Osaka."

Her mother frowned. "But how would he know?"

"Oh, turns out he's the head detective for the Tokyo Police now. I was surprised too. But he's really become more civil. He's lost a lot of the arrogance, and he has somewhat gained a personality. According to Rin-chan, he found that he needed to soften up in order to blend in with the humans."

Ms Higurashi laughed, then looked thoughtful. "I think I understand now. No wonder you seemed so stressed, although on the outside you were all energetic."

Kagome nodded. "There's more, mama. I found out that he actually still has a team that works for him. What's more, I know every single person on that team. And they never told me. And he just asked me to help him with this case, saying that I would be the one who would have first-hand information if more victims appear. He also said my miko powers would come in handy. I never thought the Ice Prince himself would never ask for help," she snorted.

"Well, you know that I've always believed in the saying 'people change'. Perhaps this Sesshoumaru person was never as bad as he seemed. There are many things that people choose to hide."

Kagome nodded. "Perhaps. I decided to join the group anyways. I don't want more innocent youkai ending up dead at my hospital. Besides, although I used to think he was a real pain, I do have to admit he is quite intelligent and cunning. If anyone was to find out the killer, it would be him."

Ms Higurashi nodded. "Well, I trust your decision, but please, be careful."

Kagome nodded. "Don't worry mama. I'm older now, and know what I'm capable of."

Kagome's mother smiled. "Well Kagome-chan, do you have time to stay for dinner?"

Kagome laughed. "Of course! I'm free this evening. But tonight I'm going out with Rin-chan and Ayame-chan."

"Well I hope you have a good time then. Oh, Souta is coming home tonight for dinner too. He's bringing Izumi, so you can get a chance to meet her!"

Kagome smiled. "I'm looking forward to that. While we're waiting, need some help in the kitchen?"

Ms Higurashi smiled. "I'm always eager for helpful hands,"

Laughing, Kagome and her mother entered the kitchen, tying on their aprons and getting ready to make dinner.

---

"Oi, 'kaasan! How come nee-chan's car is in the front?" Souta's loud voice broke through the serenity.

"Ne, it's obviously because Kagome-san is here!" a feminine voice replied.

Ms Higurashi poked her head out the kitchen. "Souta, Izumi, dinner's almost ready. And you're right Izumi, Kagome-chan is right here."

Souta ran into the kitchen, tackling Kagome in a tight embrace. "Nee-chan! Where have you been all this time?"

Laughing, Kagome returned the embrace and replied, "silly boy, I've been busy. I'm off-duty right now." She looked over his tall form and saw a female lingering at the door. She was about Rin's height, with shoulder-length auburn hair. Her blue-green eyes sparkled with happiness and excitement.

Kagome extricated herself from Souta's embrace and took off her apron. She walked to Izumi and bowed, saying, "I'm Kagome Higurashi, Souta's older sister. Nice to meet you."

Izumi did the same, saying, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Izumi Tahashi, Souta's girlfriend."

As soon as Kagome got into a close vicinity to Izumi, she felt the gentle pulsing of her miko powers increase in speed. She gasped, looking into Izumi's face. Izumi smiled. "You're a miko, ne?"

Kagome nodded. "You're a youkai?"

Izumi nodded, and with a mysterious twinkle in her eyes, she replied, "You may have heard of my parents and my aniki, Kouga, Ayame, and Ichiro."

Kagome almost had a heart attack again, the second time within a day. "You're the daughter I never met! I've seen Ichiro, Kenji, and Aiko, but I've never seen you! They said you were living elsewhere."

Izumi nodded. "Hai, I usually live in the dorms. I find that I like the night life a bit too much for their liking. They agreed to let me live on my own, as long as I don't end up pregnant or anything screwed like that," she snorted, "but I calmed down a lot after meeting Souta. I met him one night after I got real drunk and was wobbling around on campus. He felt sorry for me and brought me back to my dorm room after finding out who I was. We started hanging out, and decided to go out half a year later."

Kagome nodded. "Wow, I can't believe it! It's such a small world. Oh, pardon me for asking, but how old are you?"

Izumi laughed. "In terms of youkai, I'm about 253. But in human years, I'm slightly younger than Souta – I turn 20 in a month. Kenji and I are fraternal twins, you know that?"

Kagome laughed. "I remember now. Kouga-kun is always muttering about his 'deranged twins'. Something about crazy parties."

Izumi laughed. "That's otousan for you, always complaining about Kenji and I. I mean honestly, we learned the art of clubbing from Ichiro, who obviously got it from otousan himself. He always fails to remember that point."

Kagome snorted. She remembered how Ayame and Kouga had gone clubbing and had come home extremely drunk once, and for two weeks after that, Ayame had been freaking out because she thought she had gotten pregnant that night. She had been relieved after finding out the test was negative, but she had given Kouga a nice beating and made him swear off clubbing. Of course, that promise that been broken many times since then, but neither of them seemed to remember, or mind.

"Does Souta and 'kaasan know…?" Kagome asked.

Izumi nodded. "Your okaasan does have some miko powers, although they are not as strong as yours. She figured out the first time we met. I had dropped my sealing spell accidentally in front of Souta the time when we first met, but he didn't seem to care. He intrigued me, because most people would probably scream and run away if they saw a girl suddenly seem to sprout fangs and a tail. Afterwards, I asked him about it, and he said it wasn't a big deal, having heard many stories from you."

Kagome laughed. "I suppose all my stories from the shard hunting days did come to some good, ne?"

Izumi chuckled. "Hai, I would say so. He told me some of them too. I must say, otousan was rather persistent and was very much a baka back then, ne?"

Kagome smiled. "Hai, he was, but he was a nice baka. He was real charming, you know, and if it hadn't been for Inuyasha, I think I might have taken up his offer."

Izumi laughed. "I don't think okaasan would've let you!"

"Well that's true…your okaasan was also a very persistent female…" Kagome mused.

"Ne, Kagome-san, haven't you turned your eyes upon males who WEREN'T Inuyasha back then?" Izumi asked, with curious eyes.

Kagome thought for a while. "Well…I have to say that I honestly didn't. I was very much infatuated with him back then. But I do have to admit, for a while I had the hots for two of our worst enemies…"

"Oh, oh, who were they?" Izumi was almost jumping with excitement.

Kagome smiled, with a playful twinkle in her eye. "If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't mention it to anyone. Apart from your okaasan, Rin-chan, and Kagura-chan, okay? Because they already know."

Izumi bobbed her head up and down, eagerness etched in her face.

"They were…" she lowered her voice, "Bankotsu…and…"

Izumi frowned. "Who was Bankotsu?"

"Your okaasan never told you?"

"Iie…"

"Well, he was a really evil guy brought back from the dead. He was part of a seven-man group called the Shichi'nintai. They were assasins who were originally working for Naraku when they were revived by the Shikon shards. I can't remember how many times he tried to kill Inuyasha. But that aside, he was quite gorgeous."

Izumi sighed wistfully. "Doesn't it suck how the bad guy is always the guy that you want?"

Kagome laughed and nodded. "Hai, it does seem that way sometimes, ne?"

Izumi nodded. "Well who's the other guy?"

Kagome repressed a smirk, picturing Izumi's reaction to the next male.

"Sesshoumaru-sama."

"WWWHATT????????" Izumi shrieked.

Kagome was laughing so hard, tears were threatening to spill down onto her cheeks.

"Did Inuyasha ever know?"

Kagome sobered up slightly, and shook her head.

"If he knew, do you think I'd be alive to tell you the story? Imagine that one of your best friends thought your evil half-brother who tried to kill you on numerous occasions was hot. Just imagine that."

Izumi started laughing. "Hai, I can imagine. But Kami, Sesshoumaru-sama IS quite the good-looking one, ne?"

---

Kagome sighed as she rubbed her stomach. "Mou, I'm so full!"

Izumi sat across from Kagome, doing the exact same thing, saying, "Mou, I'm going to get fat!"

Souta snorted. "Stop complaining, you two. And nee-chan, don't you need to get somewhere?"

Kagome yawned. "Hai, I'll be leaving in about 5 minutes. Need help with the dishes 'kaasan?"

Izumi jumped up. "Ne, Kagome nee-chan, I'll do them. You should go and have fun."

Ms Higurashi smiled. "Hai, Souta and Izumi can help me with them, you should get going."

Souta mumbled, "I never volunteered to do dishes…"

Izumi hit him on the head with her knuckles, saying, "be nice!"

Kagome laughed at their antics, saying, "Alright, I'll be going then. You guys have fun too, 'kay?"

Izumi nodded, saying, "Don't worry about us. Go on and have fun!"

Smiling, Kagome picked up her purse and headed out the door, saying "Ja ne!"

Stepping into her car, she revved up the engine and sped home. She arrived back home at 7:40 p.m., giving her about 20 minutes to get ready for the night. She took a very quick shower just to freshen up, and with a towel wrapped snugly around her, she began to rummage in her closet for some clothes. She decided on a short jean skirt, and a hot pink halter top. A pair of Converse® would complete her look. She quickly plugged in her curling iron and created some loose waves in her thick, ebony locks. She pulled up her bangs behind her head, and secured them with a bobby pin. She applied a bit of eyeliner at the base of her lashes and curled her lashes before applying a layer of mascara. She smiled in the mirror, liking what she saw.

She turned her head suddenly when she heard the doorbell, and yelled out, "Coming!"

Quickly grabbing her purse, she opened the door to greet a smiling Ayame.

"Kagome-chan," Ayame smiled, "Shippou and Rin are downstairs."

"Hai!" Kagome replied with an equally bright smile. Linking arms, the two women headed down to Shippou's car.

"Hey guys!" Kagome said enthusiastically.

Rin looked her up and down. "Ne, Kagome-chan, you look so much like a teenager!"

Kagome pretended to scowl. "Rin-chan, I never had the chance to be a teenager, so now I'm taking advantage of my freedom!" she said the last part with a cheeky wink.

Shippou shook his head. "I can't believe I volunteered to drive a bunch of wild party girls who are really past the 'girl' stage,"

With three glares directed at him, he gulped and whispered, "I just said to get in the car, didn't I?"

---

Twenty minutes later, the females were situated inside a packed club, surrounded by the dancing crowd, blaring music, and lots of nice drinks.

Kagome sighed, saying, "This is the life!"

Rin rolled her eyes, saying, "Kagome-chan, I honestly think some of your American habits are very unhealthy."

Kagome looked at Rin with innocent eyes. "But working out IS healthy!"

It was Ayame's turn to roll her eyes. "Not the working out, we're talking about the partying, the flings, and most of all, the motorbiking!"

Kagome pretended to gasp and clutched at her heart. "Why Ayame-chan, I haven't touched a motorcycle since I came back to Japan!"

Rin laughed. "So all the books and catalogues about motorcycles in your place is just for show! Honestly Kagome-chan, if you really want to start racing again, go ahead…just don't get yourself killed or anything like that."

Ayame shook her head. "Don't you go encouraging her like that Rin. She's going to get all tangled up in those dangerous motorcycle gangs and then we're the ones who are going to have to fish her out."

"Come on guys, you know I motorbike to relieve stress, not for kicks," Kagome laughed, "it's the exhilarating feeling of the wind rushing through your hair, the adrenaline pumping through your veins…"

"We get the point," two annoyed voices simultaneously muttered.

"Oh, Ayame-chan, guess who I just met tonight?" Kagome asked, swirling her drink around in the glass.

"Who?"

"Izumi!"

"What? My precious wildchild? How'd you meet her?"

Kagome laughed. "You'll never guess. She's going out with my brother - I was over at my 'kaasan's for dinner, and the two of them came too!"

Ayame's jaw dropped. "She was going out and she didn't tell me? I'm so going to kill her as soon as I get my claws on her!"

Rin laughed. "Come on, Ayame-chan, Souta-kun is a good guy!"

"Well, it really isn't me, you know. But once her father finds out, he's going to pay that poor boy a ...visit, shall we say..." Ayame muttered.

Rin gave her a sympathetic glance. "Males are so overprotective at times, aren't they?"

Kagome smirked, saying, "I just find it funny to think that Sesshoumaru-sama could be overprotective of you..."

Rin stuck her tongue out, and said, "Before I got mated, it was Sesshoumaru-sama being overprotective. Now, after I get mated, it's Shippou who gets all overprotective. I can't wait until the both of them chill out and stop treating me like a toddler!"

Ayame laughed, saying, "They won't..."

"Well ladies," Kagome smiled, with a gleam in her eye, "we came to this club not only to talk and drink now, right?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hey guys!

i'm sorry to keep you guys waiting, i wanted to upload this chapter sooner but was being a pain in the derriere and wouldn't let me upload --

I know this was pretty much a filler chapter, but I needed to set the scene for an important discovery that Rin makes in the next chapter. 'Cuz the discovery will hopefully shed light on who the killer is, and what he/she wants. Except I haven't really decided on WHO the killer will be. I'm just thinking about the motive, and all that jazz. So, what type of youkai do you want our mystery murderer to be? Leave a comment and let me know :D

Have fun reading! XD

nostalgic-maiden


	5. Discovery

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 5: Discovery

Ayame and Rin sighed, resigned to their fate. As they knew well, once Kagome got on that dance floor, she was not going to get off of it for a LONG time. It really didn't surprise them that she had had SO MANY ex-boyfriends still in California. They weren't even sure if they would qualify as boyfriends. According to Kagome, it was mostly major flirting for them. For her, it meant plenty of free drinks. Well one thing was certain – Kagome was one HELL of a good dancer. Where she got her moves, they weren't sure, but once she got on the floor, she grinded like there was no tomorrow.

"Come on, this song is REALLY good to dance to!" Kagome begged as she began to drag Ayame and Rin onto the dance floor by their wrists.

Sighing again, the two of them reluctantly started to swing their hips to the beat. Pleased that she got her way in the end, Kagome grinned widely and shut her eyes, allowing the rhythm of the song to overtake her. Lifting her arms up, she bent her knees and started rocking her hips to the beat.

_Peace up! A Town Down!_  
_Yeah, (Yeah!) OK!  
(Usher! Usher! Usher! Usher!)_  
_Lil' Jon!_  
_Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!_  
_Up in the club with my homies, tryna get a lil' V-I, but keep it down on the low key, 'cause you know how it is.  
I saw shorty she was checkin' up on me, from the game she was spittin' in my ear you would think that she knew me.  
So we decided to chill  
Conversation got heavy, she had me feelin' like she's ready to blow!  
(Watch Out! Oh! Watch Out!)  
She's saying "Come get me! Come get me",_  
_So I got up and followed her to the floor, she said "Baby, let's go",  
That's when I told her I said_

As the beat of the music thundered on the speed increased, beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. She movements were fluid, working her body into a dance of seduction.

_Yeah (yeah) Shorty got down low and said come and get me  
Yeah (yeah) I got so caught up I forgot she told me  
Yeah (yeah) Her and my girl used to be the best of homies  
Yeah (yeah) Next thing I knew she was all up on me screaming:  
_

At this point, Ayame and Rin were also caught up in the heavy rhythm. Moving closer together, the two women started to grind their hips in unison, causing many males to come closer.

_Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!_  
_So she's all up in my head now, got me thinking that it might good idea to take her with me,  
'Cause she's ready to leave (ready to leave)  
But I gotta keep it real now, 'cause on a one to ten she's a certified twenty, but that just ain't me. Hey._  
_Because I don't know if I take that chance just where it's gonna lead,  
But what I do know is the way she dance makes shorty alright with me.  
The way she (get low!)  
I'm like yeah, just work that out for me.  
She asked for one more dance and I'm  
Like yeah, how the hell am I supposed to leave?  
And I said _

Ayame, noticing the small crowd forming, shot, "Back off boys, we're both taken!"

_Yeah (yeah) Shorty got down low and said come and get me  
Yeah (yeah) I got so caught up I forgot she told me  
Yeah (yeah) Her and my girl used to be the best of homies  
Yeah (yeah) Next thing I knew she was all up on me screaming:  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! Yeaah!  
_

Just several metres away, Kagome faced a similar crowd. She, however, was more than willing to let several guys grind with her, as long as their hands stayed where they should. The males were more than appreciative of that, and throughout the whole time, kept offering her drinks. She was more than happy to accept, although she was cautious in terms of what was in her drink. She only drank if she saw the bartender make it, and wouldn't drink it again after she left it unattended. Years of clubbing in America had made her smart.

---

Several tables away, sitting in the ashy shadows, was a lone figure. One clawed finger was tracing the rim of the martini in front of him.

'That female was the Shikon miko? The idea seems quite preposterous. She's up there, dancing like a harlot! How can she possible have the innocence a miko needs to keep her powers pure? Damn the sweat in this room, I cannot smell her properly. I would've been able to discern whether or not she remains untouched. Alas, that is not my main priority. Even with her acting like whore on that dance floor, the power radiating from her is immense. She would be quite useful, ne?'

Picking up the martini glass, he downed its contents in a gulp. Glancing over at her companions, he started thinking again.

'The one on the left is youkai. A wolf, I believe. Quite good-looking too. But I do believe that mark on her neck means that she is mated. What I pity, I was hoping for some feminine company tonight.'

He turned his gaze on the woman beside her.

'A human. Also quite pretty and well developed. But I must curse my luck tonight. She also seems to be mated to a youkai…and if I remember correctly, that dreadful inu's ward also mated a youkai. His general, I believe…but I would've thought they would be busy tracking suspects to the four murders lately. Why are they out partying?' he mused to himself.

'Well, it does not matter to me. However, I will leave behind a little something for them to think about. If they are smart enough, they will recognize it for what it is…' a malicious sneer curled his lips, revealing a set of sharp, pearly fangs. Leaving behind the money for this drink, he spotted a pretty female batting her eyelashes at him. Smirking, he deliberately passed the table the women had been occupying, and dropped something on the table surface, before heading towards the flirtatious female.

Stepping closer to the female, he caught her seductive scent.

'Hmm…I should tell her that lilies are my favourite flower…after all, it IS her scent. And…she's youkai? What a surprise. Perhaps my luck is returning to me…' With a sadistic grin on this face, he led the female out into the pitch darkness of night.

---

Three hours later, Ayame and Rin were almost on their knees, while Kagome just ignored them and continued to dance.

"Kagome-chan, don't you think that's enough for the night?" Ayame begged.

Rin's face held a similar expression. "If I dance anymore, my ligaments are going to tear and I'll collapse. Not everyone has your stamina, you know!"

Kagome, who was not feeling even slightly intoxicated yet, answered, "Come on, one more dance, one more dance!"

"IIE!!!" two voices shouted over the music.

"Besides," Ayame sighed, "this song is a slow song. We all have no one to dance with."

Kagome couldn't deny the truth in that. She had vowed, a long time ago, never to dance to slow songs with just anyone. It was another one of her strange notions. For someone with a party-girl reputation, Kagome was a real believer in true love.

"She has more stamina than he does on a night when I'm in heat," muttered Rin.

Kagome laughed. "Ne, Rin-chan, I don't need to know what goes on inside your bedroom, please. To me, you two are still little children!"

Ayame joined in the laughter. "Hai, that is true Rin. I don't think I can get the image of you chasing that toad around with flowers out of my head, ever. It's just too funny and too endearing."

Rin couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "Stop it, you're making me feel like an idiot!"

Laughing, all three women headed back to the table to grab their stuff. As Rin was dragging her purse across the table, she saw a piece of paper flutter to the ground. Curious, she bent over and picked it up. It was blank card. Flipping it over, she gasped.

"What is it?"

Rin soundlessly handed them the card. Ayame gave a gasp too, before giving the card fully to Kagome. Taking the card, she saw a symbol – a snake that had reared up, ready to strike at its prey. Looking up, she asked, "Why is this so significant?"

"This mark was burned onto the backs of the necks of all four murder victims. It is our only clue in this hunt," Rin quietly answered.

Kagome gasped. "That means, whoever killed them was here too! And they probably know who we are!"

Ayame nodded. "We should tell Sesshoumaru-sama. You think he's still up, Rin-chan?"

Rin nodded, saying, "He's a real night owl. He can go for days without sleeping."

She quickly extricated her cell phone from her purse, and speed-dialled him.

"Hai,"

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Nani?"

"Something happened at the club, can you get over here now, and call Shippou too?"

"I'll be there in 5 minutes. Regular club, right?"

"Hai,"

"Ja"

The line went dead. Rin ended the call with shaky fingers. They all waited in silence. Kagome was fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced at the paper again. Frowning, she squinted at the bottom of the paper. '_She will be gone by 2:35,_' she read.

"Guys, I think you should look at this…" she handed them the paper, pointing to the very bottom.

However, before either females could even touch the paper, two clawed fingers fluidly grasped the paper out of Kagome's reach.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" three relieved voices called out.

"Hn…" he was staring at the paper.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, where's…" Rin started.

Another clawed finger pointed to the direction of the exit. "He's parking the car,"

He glanced at his watch. '2:50 a.m.'

"Come, we have no time. I believe this is a little warning, or indication of where our suspect is. I can only guess that this 'she' is his next victim," he looked up, seeing Shippou's tall form enter the bar.

"Are you guys alright?" Shippou's worried voice called out.

Three heads nodded simultaneously.

"Let's go," Sesshoumaru ordered.

"Then why'd you tell me to park the car?" Shippou muttered under his breath, leading Rin outside gently.

Once outside, Sesshoumaru turned to everyone. "We need to find any trace of fresh blood. Or, even better, the youki of any youkai. You two," he said, pointing at Shippou and Ayame, "use you noses and your senses. You," he said, pointing at Kagome, "try to use your miko powers to locate any unfamiliar youkai auras. You," he said, pointing at Rin, "stay still, and keep calm."

Kagome frowned, but kept her comments to herself. After all, they had a rogue youkai to catch, and lecturing him on manners wasn't going to help. Closing her eyes, she allowed her pulsing powers to penetrate her system, flowing through her bloodstream. She held down a small smile after hearing her companions sniff frantically, apart from Sesshoumaru, who preferred to sniff in a more…discrete way. Several minutes later, she broke the silence, saying, "Within a 10 km radius from where we are, there are only four youkai auras. Three belong to you guys, but there is one other one who I'm unfamiliar with."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and said in grim tones, "I, too, can only discern four youkai auras. However, the last one is not a stranger to me, so I can only hope my nose has failed me, this once."

"What direction?" Shippou asked, revving up the engine and piling everyone into the seats.

"Should be a secluded area just north of here…" Kagome said, scrunching up her nose in concentration.

Wordlessly, he drove through the dark streets, until both Kagome and Sesshoumaru called out, "Right here!"

To the right of the car was an entrance to a small park. Kagome could make out a small path, dimly illuminated, that seemed to lead to a playscape and several park benches. Suddenly, there were two sharp intakes of breath. Shippou's arm unconsciously snaked around Rin's waist, pulling her closer.

"What is it?" Rin questioned.

Ayame looked slightly paler than usual. Sesshoumaru, seeing this, snorted uncharacteristically and said, "And you call yourself a nurse…"

Ayame didn't even bother to retort. Kagome cursed youkai noses and said, "Is she dead?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Iie, but the scent of blood is overwhelming. I know her…"

Kagome's eyes widened. "Who…?"

"My secretary, Kaori. I can recognize her scent anywhere."

Kagome once again turned to the dimly lit path. Steeling herself, she took a step forward. Shippou made a move to stop her, but she shook her head, saying, "I'm a medical professional. There's almost nothing I haven't seen before. You can say I'm fully desensitized."

"Better you than me," Ayame muttered.

"I don't know how you survive your shifts in the wards," Rin muttered, pulling herself closer to her mate. It was common knowledge that she had a weak stomach, and with all the alcohol she had consumed tonight, making her see unpleasant scenes was something that no one wanted to happen.

Kagome started walking down the path, aware that Sesshoumaru was right beside her. Several metres down the path, Kagome's nose was assaulted by the heavy, metallic scent of blood. She could only imagine how Sesshoumaru's nose was feeling right now.

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oooooooooooohhh? do you think poor kaori will be able to reveal anything to our beloved kagome and sesshoumaru? sry, guess you'll have to wait until next time. and i thought i put this note in, but i guess i didn't. so i will do that now.

i have received some reviews that told me people were concerned about my writing on "American habits" that Kagome had picked up. in all honesty, the only reason i put america was because i needed UCLA in my story. (University of California, Los Angeles) and i needed the sunshine. or else, i would've put mcgill, or u of t. both are well-known for their medical school. by no means am i insulting americans. because for one thing, i don't have anything against them. for another, i have relatives who are american. and also, i actually wanted to say this sooner, but honestly, us canadians, we're no better. really. honestly, who are the losers to pile into crowded pubs and drink ourselves into oblivion just for a stinkin' hockey game? us. but hey, it's worth it to see your team win, right? lol. kinda.(i know i put this lil note in twice, but i feel i need to say it again, just for kicksXD)

hope that cleared things up, and thank you for all your reviews! i really appreciated them :D

oh yeah, by the way, the song above was "yeah" by usher ft. lil' jon and ludacris. and trust me, it IS a really good song to dance to. not that i particularly like the song, especially the lyrics, but hey, it has a good beat XD

so happy reading, and keep the reviews coming!

nostalgic-maiden :)


	6. A Requiem

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 6: A Requiem

She could see it now. A body lying in a mangled state, only a few feet away.

"Higurashi, are you sure you'll be alright?" Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel concerned for the little miko. She had seen her fair share of death and suffering already – she didn't need more dumped at her feet.

Kagome gave a small smile, and nodded her head. "Who better to see this than me? I was an intern for a short while in the pathology unit back in America. I did more autopsies than I would care to remember."

Sesshoumaru was impressed. Who would've known that this petite woman had such a strong stomach?

Both of them looked down – the female lying in a pool of her own blood at their feet was indeed still alive. Her brown hair was matted with blood; multiple cuts on her cheeks couldn't hide the trails that tears mixed with mascara had created. As with the previous four murders, there was obvious head trauma, and her left arm was gone. She was completely naked, and her clothes had been thrown carelessly on her battered body.

Kagome immediately knelt down, her expression unreadable.

"Hi there, this is Dr. Kagome Higurashi speaking to you. Can you understand me?"

The only sign that the woman heard her, were the fresh tears that seemed to stream down her cheeks. She tried to move her mouth, but seemed to lack the will to try harder.

Sesshoumaru, too, kneeled down by her side. "Kaori?" he asked, in a surprisingly gentle voice.

More tears started coming down, as she managed to whisper, "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Encouraged by the fact that the woman had managed to talk, Kagome continued. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay? I need you to stay calm, and keep talking, alright?"

The woman focused her eyes on Kagome. "I can't be saved,"

Kagome was surprised at the amount of hopelessness present in the female's voice.

"I knew I shouldn't have gone clubbing tonight. But I was lonely. I wanted to forget the pain of my solitude, if only for one night," she gave a small cough, blood dribbling out of her mouth. "I'm such an idiot, ne?"

Kagome shook her head violently. "Iie! It is not your fault you ended up here. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I…I need to tell you…" she coughed violently again, more blood leaking down her chin.

"Shh…it's alright, take your time," Kagome said soothingly.

"He -" her breathing ceased, and her eyes shut.

Kagome let a slow breath. 'Third one I've seen…' Closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer for the woman's soul.

"What a pity. She truly walked into a trap tonight…" Kagome mused.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes. "I was assuming you could smell what had gone on. Even if you didn't, don't tell me you didn't see the physical evidence."

Sesshoumaru snorted, saying, "I know exactly what she had done, miko."

"It's KAGOME," she said.

Ignoring her, Sesshoumaru flipped out his cell phone and called for officers to survey the scene and take the body away. After several minutes, the wail of sirens could be heard far in the distance.

The two walked silently back to where the rest of them were.

"Well…?" Shippou began.

"Well, we've found out the gender of the attacker," Kagome started.

Ayame frowned. "How?"

"Well, poor woman was still alive. Told us she went clubbing. Then went and hooked up with some guy, but he injured her fatally, then left her naked body in the park to be discovered. By us, no doubt."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Kaori didn't specify what they HAD been doing, but with the physical evidence found, it is quite obvious."

"Kaori?" Rin gasped. "Isn't that…?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "My secretary."

"I didn't even know she was youkai!" Rin exclaimed.

"Like most youkai, she preferred to wear a sealing spell. I believe she has no other family here in Japan. I heard that her parents and her only sister had immigrated to Canada sometime in the 1980s. Apparently, they hadn't been on good terms," Sesshoumaru stated.

"She is the first female victim, am I correct?" Kagome quietly asked.

Shippou nodded, saying, "Although I doubt she will be the last."

There was a unanimous nodding of heads.

"Can DNA from the body identify the youkai?" Ayame asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Probably. But we don't have previous records of this youkai, so chances are slim. But attaining the DNA itself will already be a big help. At least we have something to start out with."

Kagome nodded. "The bands from the chromosomes will undoubtedly show us some of his physical traits. However, I'm not sure if youkai DNA works the same way as human DNA…"

"Humans have 46 chromosomes, whereas youkai have anywhere between 40 to 50 chromosomes. The more powerful the youkai, the more chromosomes they will have. The extra chromosomes determine the types of powers the youkai has, as well as the sensitivity of their senses. Low-class youkai will have fewer chromosomes. However, there aren't many low-class youkai anymore, because they haven't been able to survive through the ages. Most of them were killed by taijiya." Sesshoumaru said.

"Wouldn't it be hard to get the DNA back from the labs? After all, if it shows that the individual has 50 chromosomes, won't lab technicians be suspicious?" Rin wondered.

"That's where Ayame-chan comes in handy," Kagome smiled.

Ayame nodded. "I have an acquaintance working in those labs. She's youkai. All I have to do is tell her what I need, and she'll hide the info from the rest of the staff."

Everyone looked up as the wailing sirens screeched in their ears. 4 uniformed officers ran up to them. Sesshoumaru flashed his ID, saying, "Victim hasn't been moved. She's over there. No known relatives in Japan."

The officers nodded and started working. Shippou glanced at his watch.

"Crap guys! It's like 4 in the morning. Let's go, I need to get you guys home."

Piling into the car, they sped off into the night. Sesshoumaru broke the silence, saying, "Drop me off where I left my car. I will drive Kagome home."

Kagome looked up, surprised. "Iie, Sesshoumaru-sama, there's no need for you to trouble yourself. I can take the bus-"

He smirked. "Are you sure public transit is running at this time?"

Kagome mentally cursed herself.

"Besides," he continued, "the three of them live quite a bit father away from you than I do. Rin looks like she could use some rest, as does Ayame. We still need to meet tomorrow – all of us."

Kagome sighed and nodded her head, saying, "Well, thanks then."

The two parties separated as Sesshoumaru and Kagome were dropped off in front of Sesshoumaru's office building. The two of them climbed into his car. As they drove off into the cool night, Kagome couldn't help but feel goosebumps form on her arms. She rubbed her arms, but the feeling wouldn't go away.

Sesshoumaru wordlessly handed her his jacket, which had been thrown carelessly onto the back seat. Kagome accepted the jacket gratefully, as her halter top, which had been appropriate in the steamy warmth of the club, did absolutely nothing to keep the wind away from her bare skin. However, she wouldn't stop shaking. Noticing her discomfort, Sesshoumaru asked, "Are you still cold?"

She shook her head, saying, "Iie, it's not the cold…"

He drove in silence, until they reached their apartment block. He parked his car in the parking lot, and walked her up to her suite. She walked in, leaving the door open behind her, offering him a silent invitation to come in. So he entered, and closed the door behind him. Under the bright lights of her living room, he could see how stressed and fatigued she looked.

"Care for some tea?" she asked, setting down the jacket and rummaging through her kitchen cupboards. She looked up at him.

Wordlessly, he nodded. Smiling, she dropped some jasmine tea leaves in a teapot along with boiling water. Taking out tea cups, she set everything on a tray and headed to the living room with following behind her.

"I hope you don't mind jasmine," she said, pouring the steaming tea into the cups.

"Iie, it is one of favourites."

"I'm glad," she smiled, handing him a cup. He accepted it, and took a sip of the fragrant tea. She too, took a cup and started sipping thoughtfully. The two sat in comfortable silence, on the couch, until he asked, "Did tonight's events bother you?"

"Well I have to admit, it HAS been quite a while since I've seen people die on me like that. In a hospital environment, it's so different. As soon as you put on that white lab coat, you have to become an untouchable, in a sense. You have to be in control of your feelings. Patients don't need a frantic doctor, do they? Iie, they need a calm, reserved doctor. It's rule number one – never let emotions get the better of you," she looked directly at him, "you should know that feeling well, right Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He nodded slowly. Indeed, emotions were a thing he had believed were unimportant. He had closed himself from emotions until about 500 years ago. Since then, he had been steadily learning how to feel.

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama, isn't it rather ironic? Seems like I'm the icy one now, and you're the one capable of feeling. Was there any particular occasion where you realized just how important emotions were?"

Sesshoumaru thought back to a time nearly 200 years ago. He nodded his head, saying, "I suppose so…"

_Flashback_

"_My Lady, does it hurt?" a concerned young woman was kneeling on the edge of a futon, gently grasping the hand of a pretty inuyoukai female. Said female coughed, then answered, "Not much, Rin-chan. Don't worry about it."_

"_Haha-ue…" a male inuyoukai sitting beside the human female started._

"_Sesshoumaru," she interrupted, "when I'm gone, I need you to protect this young one, alright?" Her breathing was becoming more laboured._

_He nodded his head, suppressing the growing ache in his heart._

"_You promise?" his mother asked._

"_Hai, Haha-ue. I promise…" he softly replied._

"_Good…" she smiled and closed her eyes for the last time._

"_My Lady…" Rin's eyes started to tear up._

"_Oh Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm going to miss her so much!" her tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks._

_Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed, saying, "As will I."_

"_Are you not going to shed tears for your mother?" she asked._

_Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked at this mother, an unreadable expression on his face._

"_Fine," the young woman's face was set in determination. "If you won't do it, I'll do it for you. I'll cry for both of us."_

_And so she had. For two whole hours, sobs racked her body. Exhaustion finally took her, and she feel asleep, caught in the arms of her Lord. _

_Gently wiping the remaining tears away from her face, he wrapped her in a tighter embrace, and closed his eyes._

"_Thank you Rin…for doing what I cannot do…" he whispered._

_End Flashback_

"I'm sorry I made you retell that," Kagome quietly said.

He shook his head. "If I didn't want to tell you, I wouldn't have."

She smiled a rueful smile. "I suppose so. But hearing you say that, makes me wonder how long I haven't been able to cry properly, for anyone…"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Does my brother not count?"

She shook her head. "Iie, he doesn't. Even after I found out that he had perished in WWII, after I came back from America, the tears came, but they didn't give me the sense of peace that should've come afterwards. I think my medical training has desensitized me more than I would've liked."

"I don't quite understand," he said.

Her eyes glazed over a little bit. "I remember my first day on the job, as an intern, in America. My marks had been excellent, I had excellent recommendations. But nothing could've prepared me for what I saw. My first patient, was a little 4-year old girl. She had been hit by a car. I could tell just by looking at her that she couldn't be saved. But that hadn't stopped me from trying. But still, in the end, she didn't make it. I recall that sense of devastation and uselessness so clearly. I sat in the locker room after my shift, tears running down my face. But while I was in there, one of my superiors came in. Seeing me in that state, her face become a bit sympathetic. She put her hand on my shoulder, and said, 'Kagome, promise me, this will be the last time you cry for a patient.' And I had looked up, asking, 'Why?'

"She sat down, and looked at her hands. 'Being someone in the medical field, you have to learn that not everyone can be saved. You will save yourself a lot of heartbreak, a lot of sleepless nights, if you can learn to accept that fact. Your tears aren't going to bring that girl back. They won't bring anyone back. The most you can do for them, is to try to treat them to the best of your abilities. That's the best that anyone can do. If you continue on this way, the rest of your career will be marked with depression and guilt.'

"I will always remember what she said. Not because I felt it was particularly correct, but because it helped me through so many tough situations. All those times, when people come in with young children who will never live to see another day, I have to remember what she said. It is the only thing that keeps me from breaking down and crying. But after all these years, I suppose that it's grown on me. It's a part of me now. Expressing emotions used to be so easy, but now…I seem to have forgotten how."

Sesshoumaru noticed how her eyes had reflected a sense of helplessness as she told him the story. He remembered how, 500 years ago, this was the same miko who had stood up to him in his father's tomb. Her fiery spirit back then had intrigued him so much. But now, he saw the fire in her eyes had mellowed out, and been replaced with cold blankness. He couldn't help but see the similarities between his and the miko's life.

"I want to be able to feel again," she whispered, looking directly into his eyes.

For once, he was lost for words. Her words had stirred up a new emotion inside him – sympathy. He yearned to help her, but how was he supposed to help her learn to feel again?

He didn't know how long he had been thinking. But he was startled out of his reverie by the sound of heavy breathing. Looking over, he saw that Kagome had fallen asleep. He couldn't help the small smile that graced his features. Looking out the window at the tiny rays of sunlight that were starting to light up the horizon, he realized exactly how long he had stayed with her. Picking her up gently, he found her bedroom and deposited her on her bed, covering her with the blankets. Scribbling a note for her to find when she woke up, he left, closing the door behind him.

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yes, finally got new chapter out! phew this one was...actually not that hard to write, i was on a roll. i wrote this one along with the previous two chapters actually. :) but i haven't really been writing on this fic lately, cuz i've been OBSESSED with bleach. yes, i know i'm bad. i can't help it. it's so good. watch ep. 32, and 62, omg i like was practically crying cuz they're both so touching.

**n-m's two minute spazz note:** omgomgomg you know what i JUST noticed?????? i have a thing for attractive, cold, and powerful anime guys. you guys already know about my thing for sesshoumaru, right? yeah, now add byakuya kuchiki from bleach, and hatori from fruits basket(he's not really THAT powerful, but he has mind-erasing powers XD), and sasuke from naruto and omg you have my dream bunch. XDXD

okay i know that was random, i just needed to get it out of my system. and i'm thinking of doing a long-term bleach fic. cuz omg i had the GREATEST idea, and it won't go away. need to pen down --

well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, i'll post the next one soon XD please read and review!!

outz


	7. A Matter of Importance

Forever in My Heart

Chapter 7: A Matter of Importance

* * *

Sesshoumaru sat in his office, feeling the warm rays of the rising sun caress his face. It had been almost 5:30 a.m. when he left Kagome's apartment. He knew the events of the night would not permit him to sleep, so he decided to head to work. There was going to be lots of work to do today anyways. He felt obligated to organize Kaori's funeral – he had found her will among her documents. It had stated that she wished to be cremated, and put to rest at sea. It was a simple request, and he would fulfill it. He had also found out that her relatives in Canada had been notified, although they didn't seem to care very much. This piece of information had upset him – she had been a kind, quiet and hardworking woman, and one who deserved to be remembered.

But he supposed he had to thank her – after all her, her murder had left him with more physical evidence to work with. When the DNA came back, he would able to decipher exactly what abilities this youkai had. That would aid greatly in capturing this youkai.

Apart from Kaori, another thing was bothering him deeply. The conversation he had last night with Kagome had disturbed him greatly. He was afraid that the stress of this case would drive her to a breaking point. Sighing, he closed the folder he had been reading, and just leaned back to watch the sun rise.

---

Kagome woke up feeling very warm and comfortable. Dragging herself out of bed, she was shocked to read the time – '1:38 p.m.' She remembered how Sesshoumaru drove her home last night, and how they had talked for so long. She remembered drifting off, but did not recall when Sesshoumaru had left.

"How did I end up in here?" she wondered aloud.

Her answer came in the form of a short note, found on her bedside table.

'_Kagome,_

_You had fallen asleep, so I carried you back to your room. If you can wake up, meet us all at Rin's place tonight at 6. We'll be talking over dinner. If you need to, call me._

_Sesshoumaru'_

Smiling slightly, she thought to herself, 'hmm…since when did he become so nice? Well, I suppose I can thank him properly tonight. And I have to return his jacket. But I'll probably have to leave early – my shift starts at 9:20 p.m.'

Feeling satisfied and energized by her restful sleep, started humming a happy tune as she closed the door to her bathroom.

---

Ding-dong! 

"Jiro-kun, will you please get the door?" Rin asked, her hands full with dinner preparations.

Jiro smiled and walked to the door, opening it, revealing Kagome.

"Kagome," he greeted her with a large smile.

"Jiro-kun!" she smiled back, entering the house and stepping out of her white sneakers.

"Kagome-chan?" Rin's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Hai, Rin-chan!" she looked around, "Where's everybody else?"

"Kagura-chan is napping somewhere, Sesshoumaru-sama is on the phone in the study, and Ichi-chan is…"

"Right in front of you," the tall, green-eyed ookami suddenly appeared in front of Kagome.

Rin laughed. "And everybody else isn't here yet."

Ichiro eyed Kagome critically. "Nee-san, you look so professional…"

Kagome had on her green hospital scrubs, covered with a white, cropped zip-up hoodie and a black backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Oh. I have a shift starting at nine-twenty tonight, so if I were dressed already, I can stay longer," Kagome explained. She turned her head left and right, saying, "Where's Sesshoumaru-sama again? He left his jacket at my place last night…"

Ichiro and Jiro, who had both been drinking Coke and tea respectively, choked.

"W-what?" Jiro coughed.

Ichiro just stared at her, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Oh shut it, you two idiots!" Kagura came strolling in, an arm resting on her swollen belly and her other hand supporting her back. "She'll explain everything when everyone gets here." Turning to Kagome, she smiled and said, "Kagome-chan, he's upstairs, in the runt's study."

"Thanks, Kagura-chan," Kagome smiled gratefully, eager to escape from the awkward situation.

Climbing the stairs slowly, she thought, 'I can't remember when the study is…'

A door to her left opened, and Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway, looking at her.

"You were looking for me?"

She nodded, and handed him his jacket, saying, "I'm sorry I forgot to return it last night. And I appreciate the fact you put me in bed," she smiled.

He nodded and took the jacket, saying, "It was no trouble,"

"Well, dinner should be almost ready, so you can come down," she turned and started down the stairs. As she stepped down onto the ground, she head Ayame and Kouga's voices.

"Ayame-chan, Kouga-kun," she greeted with a smile.

Both turned around and said, "Ohayo, Kagome!"

Seeing Ayame's empty arms, she asked, "Where's Aiko-chan?"

Kouga snorted. "As a punishment for going out behind our backs, I made Izumi stay home and watch her."

Kagome laughed. "Are you sure that's a punishment?"

Ayame shook her head, saying, "That's what I said, but he didn't listen."

Ichiro smirked. "Bet you within half an hour she'll be calling Kenji and demanding for him to go home to help her. Aiko can be a handful at times…"

"I heard all four of you guys shared that same trait, back when you were kids," Kagome said playfully.

"They did, and they'll probably always be like that," a voice called out from the foyer.

"You're back!" Rin's happy voice called out, while she enveloped her mate in a crushing embrace. Shippou smiled and gave her a kiss.

"Sorry that I couldn't be earlier. One of my clients was being unreasonable,"

Looking at Kagome, he asked, "What time does your shift start?"

"9:20 tonight," she answered.

"Well, dinner's ready," Rin's cheerful voice said, while carrying in two steaming bowls of soup. Sesshoumaru came down the stairs, and asked, "All here?"

All heads nodded, and Rin said, "Dinner's ready too,"

Everyone sat down and started eating. After complimenting Rin on her cooking, Kouga asked, "Ne, what happened last night? Ayame was too tired to tell me."

"Well, it all started when Rin-chan, Ayame-chan, and I decided to go clubbing," Kagome began, "it was all good, until we decided to leave. By then, it was already around three in the morning."

"Then Rin-chan found this note…"

"And we realized it was left by the guy who had killed all those youkai…"

"Because it had his symbol on it…"

"And the note told us that he had found a new victim…"

"A female one this time…"

"Then they got freaked and called us…"

"Then Shippou and Sesshoumaru-sama got here…"

"And we tried to track the guy and his victim down…"

"Kagome-chan and Sesshoumaru-sama pinpointed the aura of a youkai we were unfamiliar with…"

"Turns out it was the victim…"

"And she was a real mess – her injuries were exactly the same as the previous ones…"

"Rin-chan and I couldn't look, it was only Kagome-chan and Sesshoumaru-sama…"

"We couldn't get anything from her, she just couldn't talk…"

"So we got the cops on scene, and got out of there," Shippou ended their tale.

"Did she survive?" Kagura asked quietly.

Kagome shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid by the time we got to her, she already lost a lot of blood. Even with her own healing abilities, she wouldn't have made it,"

"So you didn't manage to get anything from her?" Kouga asked.

"Well, we were able to get DNA samples of her attacker from her body," Ayame explained.

"Well that's a start," Jiro offered.

"Hai, it is a good start," Sesshoumaru agreed, "it will aid us greatly in determining this youkai's abilities."

"But that still doesn't explain why Sesshoumaru-sama was at nee-san's place last night," interjected Ichiro.

Several surprised faces stared at Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Kagome shrugged, saying, "He gave me a ride home, and we talked for a while."

Sesshoumaru could've rolled his eyes. "What did you think, that we were having a torrid love affair?"

Ichiro shrugged. "It would've been fun to fantasize about,"

Ayame whacked her son on the head, saying, "What has your father been telling you?"

Kouga shifted uneasily in his seat and cleared his throat. "Well anyways," he said, trying to change the topic, "I feel pretty bad for that woman. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, wasn't she?"

Everyone fell silent. The ones who had found her looked especially melancholy, although Sesshoumaru's deadpan features stayed that way.

"She was Sesshoumaru-sama's secretary, Kaori-san," Rin said quietly.

Kouga's mouth dropped open, then he closed it hastily. "I'm sorry for your loss, Sesshoumaru," he murmured.

Sesshoumaru nodded, and amazingly, ignored the absence of his honorific. "It's alright. She was a good woman, and will be remembered accordingly."

The rest of dinner took place in silence. Soon, Kagome wiped her mouth, got up, and placed her dishes in the sink. Looking at the rest of the group, she smiled and said, "Hey guys, I have to run. Rin-chan, I'm sorry I can't do the dishes for you,"

Rin shook her head and replied, "Iie, it's alright. Drive safe, 'kay?"

She nodded and slipped on her white sneakers, heaving her backpack on a shoulder and waved to the rest of the group. Leaving the house, she closed the door with a gentle click. Kouga, Ayame, and Ichiro left soon after Kagome, and Rin and Shippou soon re-entered the kitchen to do the dishes, leaving Kagura, Jiro, and Sesshoumaru sitting in silence. Sesshoumaru was sitting with his eyes closed, a look of contemplation on his face. Kagura glanced at her mate, and then back to Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru…" she began. He opened one eye lazily and looked at her. Seeing her unusually serious expression, he opened his other eye as well and sat up straighter.

"The others may not know or remember, but I do," she quietly said. Jiro looked at her with a curious expression on his face – he obviously didn't know what she was talking about. Looking at the demon lord, Jiro noticed that he had a glint in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"You do…" Sesshoumaru quietly intoned. Kagura nodded, and started ticking off names.

"Hideaki, one of your former healers. Goro, Rin's teacher as a child. Kenshin, the captain of one of your ranks. Takeshi, your cousin, although he had been disowned a century ago. Kaori, your assistant. Don't you notice something, Sesshoumaru?" she asked. Jiro frowned. 'Kenshi, Hideaki, Goro, Takeshi…weren't those the names of the 4 male victims?' he thought, letting out a small gasp. It didn't take much to put the two and two together after his wife made it so obvious.

"I do," he answered, closing his eyes again, "I'm surprised you remembered, Kagura."

"I did not spend 4 centuries of my life as the head of your household for nothing," she bit.

It was true. After the defeat of Naraku, Kagura had nowhere to go, so she decided to follow the demon lord. At first, he had kept telling her to go away, but soon, Rin had taken a liking to the "pretty lady with the red eyes", and he grudgingly allowed her to stay with them. Back at his home, since he was without a mate, his household was in such disarray that it was amazing how his castle and its occupants managed to do their day-to-day tasks. So she had volunteered to help him sort it out, and had met Jiro, Sesshoumaru's head healer. Of course, the two had fallen in love and had mated, but Kagura remained as the head of his household. Rin had taken over for Kagura a century ago due to her pregnancy, leaving Kagura free to expand on her creative abilities as an accomplished seamstress.

"Why aren't you doing something about it? Or telling the rest of them?" she asked, ignoring Jiro's looks of warning.

"They do not need to be tangled up in my own problems. Rin would be most distressed if she heard some idiot youkai was out to get me," he shrugged, picking up his teacup.

Kagura rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She would be more distressed if you didn't tell her, you know. She'll worry her ass off about you. Same with the rest of the group. You can't just shrug it off like that, you know. This is some insane youkai who wants you dead! And this one isn't stupid either,"

When Sesshoumaru didn't answer, she sighed in frustration and let the subject drop. After the time she had spent in his household, she knew when it was a lost cause. Sesshoumaru stood up and went into the kitchen.

"I am going to leave now. Thanks for the dinner, Rin," he said. She smiled and replied, "It was my pleasure. Bye Sesshoumaru-sama," she gave him a small hug after wiping her soapy hands on the seat of her jeans. This was met with a look of mock disapproval.

"Rin, you do know what the function of towels are, correct?" he asked, a sparkle of amusement in his golden eyes. Shippou laughed and dropped a dishtowel onto Rin's head, and she scrunched up her nose, sticking her tongue out at her mate.

"Good night Rin, Shippou," he said, before heading to the front entrance. He nodded his head at Kagura and Jiro, who both waved, and exited the door.

Reaching his car, he slid in quietly and sighed, slamming the door shut. Kagura really hit the nail on the head. He really shouldn't have been surprised – that wind youkai knew a lot more than she let on.

The truth was, he had suspected this for a while. He had been rather surprised when he found out the first victim was one of his captains – everyone in his army was extremely well-trained, and it would've taken a lot to take one of them down, especially a captain. The identity of this particular captain disturbed him a lot – Kenshin had actually been trained personally by Sesshoumaru, because his father had been a commander even before Sesshoumaru was old enough to carry a sword. After the old commander had passed on, Sesshoumaru felt obliged to teach his young son the way the old commander had once taught Sesshoumaru.

He noticed that the victims were each of increasing importance to him – each one was more important to him than the last. Hideaki had been a loyal healer, aiding him after many battles. Goro had been a wise scholar, Sesshoumaru's own teacher as a pup. Kenshin and he had formed a semblance of a friendship, the younger pup looking up to Sesshoumaru as a mentor and confidante. He and Takeshi had grown up together, and although he constantly denied it, Takeshi really knew him better than anyone else did. Too bad he got disowned though – his father, Sesshoumaru's uncle, had been outraged when Takeshi brought home a human woman. It wouldn't have been as bad if the woman was merely a mistress, but Takeshi had insisted on marking her as his mate. He didn't care much about his father's opinions, and disappeared with the woman shortly after a rather violent altercation with his father. He and Sesshoumaru had lost contact shortly afterwards. The last victim, Kaori, was a faithful and diligent worker – working with Sesshoumaru for many years had led her to be able to read his carefully concealed emotions very well. She had been someone he could depend on.

Starting up the ignition, he wondered if he should really tell the rest of the group. He knew it would frighten them immensely, but he wanted them to be on their guard. The way things were looking now, punctuated by the appearance of the killer at the bar, he wouldn't be surprised if Rin or one of the others would be targeted next.

'No one is going to lay their claws on Rin,' he vowed, as he sped off into the inky black night. No, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, was not about to let anyone harm the ones he had let into his thawing heart.

* * *

I am SO sorry for not updating sooner. I'm sorry, lately I've been caught up in a whirlwind of Bleach. And exams. And Bleach fics. Very, very very very sorry!!!!!! And I kinda lost interest in Inuyasha for a while, so I really got stuck with this chapter. I had already had four pages written, but the words just couldn't flow out afterwards. But don't worry, I have picked it back up again, and my ideas are popping into my head again :) But I do have to warn you guys - my exams aren't over yet, and my big Bleach fic isn't fully uploaded yet, so updates might not be as frequent as I'd like them to be. But I'm trying, I really am. Plus, I'm actually done my Bleach fic, it's just a matter of editing and uploading, so most of my writing efforts will be put back into this fic (I hope). 

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter :) please review!

nostalgic-maiden


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